The silver side drop that hangs from a Cheyenne woman's belt honors the woman who killed General Custer after the battle at the Little Big Horn River. Scenes from the battle are depicted on this buffalo hide.

On June 25, 1876, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux warriors defeated the 7th Cavalry on the Little Big Horn River. It is said that during the fight, the warriors wounded General George Armstrong Custer. Shortly after he was wounded, a Cheyenne woman approached Custer, grabbed his saber, and stabbed him, eventually killing him. She told the General “he had it coming.”

As Custer lay dead on the ground, Cheyenne and Arapaho women used their awls to stab his ears. It is told that the women chanted “we do this to you so that you will listen to our people in the next world.” The women referred to Custer as Attacker at Dawn because of his role in the Washita Massacre of 1868, in which he attacked Black Kettle's camp and captured fifty-three women and children. Many women were raped as their village burned.

The woman who stabbed Custer claimed his saber. In the days and years to follow, she wore it honorably hanging from her leather belt. This woman was highly respected by all for her warrior deed. After her death, many Cheyenne women continued to honor and remember her by wearing a silver drop on their side attached to their leather belts. That is why today many Cheyenne women fashion their belts with a silver side drop, especially for special occasions and ceremonies. One hundred and twenty–seven years later, we still honor our Cheyenne women's traditions.

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